Small estates and probate

Last reviewed 18 August 2026

For the smallest estates the law is gentle: no fee is charged, and often no grant is required. Knowing where the thresholds fall spares the family both cost and delay.

No fee below £5,000

Where the gross value of the estate is £5,000 or less, no HMCTS application fee is payable — whether you seek a grant of probate or letters of administration. This threshold was unaffected by the July 2026 fee change.

When no grant is needed at all

Below each bank’s own threshold, funds are usually released against a small-estates form and a death certificate, without a grant. Jointly held assets pass to the survivor regardless. Executors on a low income may also qualify for the Help with Fees scheme (form EX160).

Sources. GOV.UK, Applying for probate: fees; GOV.UK Help with Fees (EX160); bank small-estate policies.